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(Model) D. M. CHURCH.

STEEL FOR GORSETS. No. 254,118. Patented Feb. 28.1882.

CUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DWIGHT M. CHURCH, OF BIRMINGHAM, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR OFTWO- THIRDS TO LYMAN H. LOOMER AND ANDREW F. LOOMER, BOTH OF SAME PLACE.

STEEL FOR CORSETS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 254,113, dated February 28, 1882.

' Application filed June 23, 1881. (ModeL) I To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, DWIGHT MADISON CHURCH, of Birmingham, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steels for Corsets; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Myinvention relates to the steels which, having hooks and studs thereon, serve to fasten the two parts of the corset together when the same is applied to the body of the wearer, these steels being usually the front steels, one of them having studs and the other having projecting eyes to receive such studs.

The invention has for its object the ready insertion and securing of these steels in the corset for use, and the ready removal of the same that the corset maybe washed or repaired;

2 5 and it consists in combining and applying with the steel :1. long removable metal slide narrowed or wedging at its'inner end, and so cut or shaped as to receive at its edge, as in a groove, the inner edge of such steel, all as will 0 be better understood from the following description.

Figure 1 illustrates portions of a corset with my invention applied theretogFig. 2 shows one of the steels and its corresponding slide; 3 5 Fig. 3, the slide detached in perspective; Fig. 4, a cross-section of a slide enlarged, and Fig. 5 a modification of the slide in cross -section and enlarged. v

A and B show parts of a corset, each part having apocket portion, 0, near its edge to receive the steel, one of these pockets having eyelet or other holes, d, to permit the studs 0 to project through them, and the other having slits to permit the metal hooks, eyes, or loops 4 5 f to project through them.

The steels are composite when completely applied in the corset ready for use, each being composed of two pieces-viz, the narrow one,

9, (to which either the studs or the loops, as the case may be, are attached,) and another sliding piece, h, adapted to he slid endwise into the pocket 0 in the fabric, and by this act of sliding in to lock or hold the piece g to place. This is effected as follows: The pieces g and h, when in proper position relatively to each other, have a joint breadth sufficient to snugly fill the pocket,-with their respective studs and eyes projecting ready for use; but when the slide! is withdrawn from its pocket the steel g may be slid back into the, space previously occupied by the slide and then freely Withdrawn from the pocket,-leavin g the latter empty.

The inner edge of the piece 9 is straight and smooth. That edge or part of the piece h which, when in the pocket, is next adjacent to the inner edge of its fellow piece, g, is made either with a groove to receive such edge, or may be so cut in transverse slits k that it may be bent alternately in opposite directions, constituting a series of clasps, thus forming what may be practically equivalent to a groove for the same purpose, and this may be, of course, made from a strip of metal of single thickness; but I prefer to make these slides h of steel, and to double 'the metal lengthwise upon itself, as shown in Fig. 5, with provision for receiving the edge of the piece 9, as before stated, either in a groove or in the alternate bends which become the equivalent of a groove. This doubled slide gives a great support and adds to the strength.

The inner end of the slide h is rounded, tapered, or wedged, as shown at 2', Figs. 2 and 3, that it may readily be inserted and pushed to place in the pocket, and when so pushed in it holds the part 9 firmly, and, as previously stated, when the slide h is withdrawn the steel 9 is loosened and can at once he removed.

Besides the advantages already named arisin g from my invention the device is simple, convenient, and economical. The double steel adds to the durability, and there is less stitching required to apply the invention to the corset.

I claiml. The compound steel for corsets, consisting of the twonarrow removable pieces g and h, one of which is provided with a groove at to receive the edge of the part 9, and having one edge adapted to receive and slide upon the its inner end of wedging shape, as and for the I0 edge of the other piece, and the two, when in purposes described.

thesaine pocketservin to hold each otherin 5 place, substantially as shown and described. DWIGHT MADISON CHURCH 2. A corset having its front steels made in \Vitnesses: the two removable parts 9 h, as described,the WV. S. BROWNE, part h having edge-clasps or their equivalents CHAS. E. CLARK. 

